Idioms. Animals
have ants in one’s pants – ñãîðàòü îò íåòåðïåíèÿ
be like a bear with a sore head – áûòü çëûì, ðàçäðàæèòåëüíûì
I could talk to my dad today about the party. He was like a bear with a sore head.
have a bee in one’s bonnet (about sth) – áûòü ïîìåøàííûì (íà ÷åì-ëèáî)
She’ got a bee in her bonnet about cleaning the kitchen twice a day.
the bee’s knees – âûñøèé ñîðò
Anna thinks she’s the bee’s knees. (she has a high opinion of herself)
the birds and the bees – ðàçãîâîð íà ñåêñóàëüíûå òåìû, îñîáåííî ñ äåòüìè
I learned about the birds and the bees at school.
a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush – ëó÷øå ñèíèöà â ðóêàõ, ÷åì æóðàâëü â íåáå, íå÷òî ðåàëüíîå
I don’t want to look anything else. I believe a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
kill two birds with one stone – óáèòü äâóõ çàéöåâ îäíèì óäàðîì
I like listening to an English course when I’m driving, so I can kill two birds with one stone.
let the cat out of the bag – ðàçáîëòàòü, ðàñòðåïàòü ÷òî-ë., âûáîëòàòü ñåêðåò
John didn’t know anything about the surprise party until Lucy let the cat out of the bag.
lead a cat-and-dog life – æèòü êàê êîøêà ñ ñîáàêîé
it’s raining cats and dogs – äîæäü ëüåò êàê èç âåäðà
like a cat on hot bricks – êàê íà óãëÿõ/èãîëêàõ
She was like a cat on hot bricks before her exams.
be the cat’s pyjamas/whiskers – ÷òî íàäî, ïåðâûé ñîðò
He thinks he’s the cat’s whiskers. (= he has a high opinion of himself).
cat gets one`s tongue – ïðîãëîòèòü ÿçûê
Why don’t you say something? Has a cat got your tongue?”
don’t count your chickens before they are hatched – öûïëÿò ïî îñåíè ÷èòàþò
chicken out (of sth/of doing sth) – ïîéòè íà ïîïÿòíûé, îòêàçàòüñÿ îò ÷åãî-ëèáî
You’re not going to chicken out, are you?
dog-eat-dog – áåñïîùàäíûé, çëîáíûé
We’re operating in a dog-eat-dog world.
go to the dogs – ðàçîðèòüñÿ, ïîéòè ïðàõîì
This firm’s gone to the dogs since the new management took over.
let sleeping dogs lie – íå áóäè ëèõà, ïîêà îíî òèõî
don’t/you must not look a gift horse in the mouth – äàðåíîìó êîíþ â çóáû íå ñìîòðÿò
a cat has nine lives – æèâó÷, êàê êîøêà